1. Technical Field
An aspect of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, which is capable of forming images on a recording sheet.
2. Related Art
A printer capable of forming images on either side of a sheet of recording medium (e.g., paper) is known. In order to have images formed on both sides of the sheets (i.e., double-face printing), for example, the printer may convey the sheet in an image forming unit to form an image on a first side of the sheet and further convey the sheet in a return-sheet conveyer unit, which conveys the sheet to return to the image forming unit in a reversed orientation so that an image is formed on a second side of the sheet.
For another example, a printer having a lower frame, in which a sheet-feeder unit is arranged, and an upper frame, in which an image forming unit is arranged, is known. In the printer, the lower frame is designed to be less rigid than the upper frame so that the lower frame can be deformed more easily to absorb stress, which may be caused by being placed on an uneven or stepped area. In this configuration, the upper frame, which holds the image forming unit and is more sensitive to the uneven stress, may be released from the stress and maintained stably with a smaller amount of deformation. Therefore, misalignment of the image forming unit within a chassis of the printer can be reduced, and image-forming quality of the printer may be maintained. Further, weight and manufacturing cost of the printer may be reduced, compared to a printer having the lower frame, which is designed to be as rigid as the upper frame. Thus, the printer can be handled easily and manufactured cost-efficiently.